


Push Through

by Kalloway



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-23 12:44:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14934494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Badly injured, Xander knows his only option is to head to Askr.





	Push Through

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taichara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/gifts).



> Diverts after ch. 2.8 or so.

The pain was so immense that Xander didn't immediately realize he was even in pain. Just that it was dusk, nearly dark, everything was far too quiet, and he couldn't really move. 

Then-- Then he felt the pain and it all came back to him. Surtr, Veronica, and... Xander tried to sit up, but everything spun on the first try and he was back on the cool marble floor in an unpleasant instant. Aside from his arm, which he didn't think he even wanted to look at, he was pretty sure he'd been kicked in the ribs and gut a few times. 

One minute passed, and then another. He was going to have to get himself up and get somewhere. This place was obviously deserted and Xander knew he was in no shape to go after Surtr, despite that being the main thing he wanted to do. That left only one option - he was going to have to get to Askr. 

Somehow. 

The pain wasn't lessening any, but on his second try, Xander forced himself through it. His sword was nearby and he grabbed for it and managed to get it back at his hip. At least his sword arm hadn't been too badly injured. His other arm, though... 

He crawled a few paces before trying to stand and look at his arm in the dimming light. The sight alone nearly caused him to lurch back to the floor. Perhaps, with luck, he might get to keep it. Perhaps... He tried to move his fingers and had a bit of luck, though Xander also instantly decided not to try that again if he liked staying conscious. Even once he tried to shuffle onward, his whole arm felt like it was being pierced by a thousand burning needles. Bones were broken, he was sure, and the skin and remnants of his clothing were burned, bleeding, fused together and oozing... 

There was nobody else alive in the place. Every body he passed as he staggered along against the wall was burned to nearly-unidentifiable ash - maids and soldiers alike, judging by the little bits that were left. Surtr would pay-- 

Xander didn't even know if he could see to that, but he would try. Askr would... 

Most of the horses were gone, but his own mount and a handful of others remained. Hopefully someone would find them - Xander didn't think he would be able to manage to free them all without falling. Already things were feeling a little funny. 

But he could push through for a bit longer. Until...

~*~

"Elise, come quick! There's someone over here!"

Xander tried to open his eyes, but the sky was too bright and the pain too great. He also wasn't on his horse, but he supposed that wasn't too much of a surprise. 

Had someone said his sister's name?

"Eirika? What is it?"

Yes, that was definitely Elise's voice. Had he...? Had he made it to Askr somehow?

In the haze that followed, he knew Elise was trying to heal him and get him upright, but... Xander needed so much more than she could give him right then and somewhere between all of the magic and Eirika, whoever she was, giving orders to someone else and too many hands on him and... somewhere in there he caught a glimpse of Elise's worried face and then, almost as a relief, darkness. 

~*~

When he opened his eyes again, he was in a lantern-lit room, in bed, obviously cleaned and dressed in decently-fitting sleep clothing and... wincing, Xander glanced at where his arm was tightly bound in what looked like a series of splints and bandages. It was no longer sheer agony, though, which was a relief. But he didn't think he was at all up to getting out of bed. The blankets felt impressively heavy, as if... 

"Xander? Are you awake?" From down near his knees, Elise stirred and looked up at him. Her face broke into a wide smile when their eyes met. 

"Xander!"

It hurt to hug her, but the pain was absolutely nothing compared with her joy. Elise didn't cling for long, instead settling back to sit on her legs and look him over. 

"Lachesis and Maria and I did everything we could for you," she said softly. "For your arm. Magic can only do so much."

"I know," Xander replied. Whatever the outcome, he would live with it. He didn't regret any of his actions. 

"Cordelia, she's a new friend, went to the main army to try to find Camilla and Leo, and Laslow and Peri," Elise continued. "We've all been taking rotations when we can, but I get stuck with a lot of patrols here."

"For which I am grateful," Xander commented. He tried to smile, but it was difficult. The last thing he wanted was to be a burden, but it was his only option for the time being. He would have to wait for his revenge. He...

"You should drink something," Elise said, possibly for the second time. "I can get you some soup, too. And if you need... I can ask Effie..."

Xander winced, even though he knew Elise was offering the best solution for quelling certain complications of being Nohr royalty. With both of his own retainers with the dispatched forces, that definitely left Elise's retainer, one who at least knew and understood, as the best candidate. 

"Please tell me you found someone there who..." Elise trailed off and Xander suddenly knew the face he was making. He was definitely giving himself away. Instead of finding a willing, human donor, he'd made do with under-cooked meat and low amounts of constant fatigue. 

"Effie will be fine," Xander managed. He knew he'd gotten too single-minded. And he knew Elise had clear memories of trying to curb the habit and what happened in the process, since she'd been the last one to try it and fail. 

"Water first, then soup."

She was gone before Xander could reply. He just closed his eyes and tried to figure out what to do next. What he could do. Which was nothing. He likely knew little that the Askr forces did not, and he had been their enemy, willingly. The bed was probably a concession for being Elise's brother. Otherwise he'd likely be laid up in a cell. 

Elise did not come back alone, though. With her was a blonde-haired woman carrying a tray with soup and bread on it. Elise had water and after setting both down, they helped Xander sit up and propped extra pillows behind him. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," the blonde woman said with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"This is Lachesis," Elise explained. "Her older brother is here, too. There are a lot of families here, actually. I've made so many friends..." 

"You're also a cleric?" Xander asked, not quite interrupting Elise. Lachesis nodded. 

"Something like that," she said. "It's not my only skill, however." 

Xander, however, did not get a recital of her other skills, just a short list of sane demands, most of which were different ways of phrasing 'stay in bed, Elise has made it clear you will not want to stay in bed' while Elise helped him eat the thankfully delicious soup, which had been made by someone named Caeda. 

As he ate, Elise explained things he'd missed, more about Askr and the Order - definitely a bit different from the explanations Veronica gave him - and about what was happening with Surtr and his army as best they knew. Elise never bothered to confirm that Surtr was what happened to Xander. She was a smart girl. She had probably figured it out right away. 

Lachesis offered bits of information as well, though not as much as Elise. It was only after he finished eating that he realized she was probably there to protect Elise in case he... 

"I'm on your side now," he said firmly. "Please. I know I've attacked you in the past, but..."

Finally, it all came out. Surtr, Veronica, everything he could remember about the apparent massacre and how he'd dragged himself out from it. 

When he'd finished, Elise was a bit pale, but Lachesis just nodded. 

"It's not my decision to make, but I will let Anna, Shareena, and Alphonse know." 

"Thank you." Xander said, before closing his eyes for just a moment. A long moment. He didn't think he had any reason to be quite as tired as he was, but...

~*~

When he woke, it wasn't Elise at his side but Lachesis. She had his hand in hers, holding on carefully as if he might vanish otherwise. Xander remembered Camilla doing the same when they were younger and he'd worn himself to exhaustion and ended up spending days in bed. It was dark outside and Xander wondered for a moment how many days had passed since he'd crawled from Embla's mausoleum of a palace.

"Elise will be back," Lachesis said softly when she realized she was being watched. "She went for a quick bath and Effie, though I don't quite understand why..."

"Because all of my siblings are a gift," Xander replied. His voice was raspy and Lachesis quickly helped him drink a bit more water. 

And then she talked about her brother, which was welcome. Xander didn't mind listening and obviously, Lachesis adored her elder brother with all her heart. He was at the front lines as well, and Lachesis was desperately hoping for word that everything was going well. 

Xander didn't quite know what to say to reassure her. But he was saved by the door opening and Elise leading Effie into the room. Post-bath, and sans her armor, Effie looked younger and smaller than the wall Xander usually considered Effie to be. Lachesis let go of his hand and slid to the side to let Elise close if she wanted. But if was Effie who stepped forward.

"Prince Xander," she said with a little nod as she approached him. "Don't worry about being gentle with me."

"Thank you, Effie," Xander replied. "You have my eternal gratitude for this."

The impressively horrified look on Lachesis' face confirmed that Elise hadn't bothered explaining at all what was about to happen and before he could clarify, Effie had a dagger in hand and was climbing up onto the bed and...

"Xander! Milord!"

"Xander!"

There was a cacophony of voices in the hallway and before Effie could strike her own flesh, Laslow and Camilla burst into the room, both breathless and wide-eyed. 

Laslow was quick to see the blade in Effie's hand and realize what was about to occur. Camilla seemed frozen at the sight of Xander's bandaged arm, though Xander didn't miss that she was the one to reach over and give Laslow the smallest of nudges forward. 

"I'm here, I'm here--" Laslow was on the bed in a split second, missing Xander's wince at the jostling, and half on top of him and grabbing the knife from Effie, who knew to retreat. "We came as quickly as we could."

Xander had never seen Laslow's hand shake before, but this cut was almost too wild and deep. It would scar if Laslow wasn't careful. It was close to his wrist but not too close. 

He heard Laslow gasp, but by then Laslow had shifted again, almost curled at Xander's side, and pushed the wound against Xander's mouth before his blood could drip and stain the bedding. 

"Drink, milord. Please."

Xander had never managed to scrape much information out of Laslow about his past. Certainly not about his parentage. But there was something about Laslow's blood that tasted so very different from any blood he'd ever been offered in the past. He forgot himself when the first drops hit his tongue, so much better what he'd been scavenging while trying to hide this curse. Deep inside, he felt better. His arm ached less, his ribs ached less, the endless fatigue lessened as well and beside him, Laslow kept muttering apologies as if he was the one who had anything to apologize for. 

"The four of us have to do it now and then. It's not as gruesome as it seems." Camilla was likely talking to Lachesis. "It'll help him feel a lot better."

Xander knew it still probably looked gruesome. It was certainly not a romantic affliction by any means, and he tried to treat it as... nobly as he could. Which was best done without an audience, but he knew he had little choice on that and likely wouldn't for awhile.

"Laslow, and dearest Xander, that's probably enough for now."

"If you need more, I'm here," Effie added. 

Keeping his eyes closed for a moment longer, Xander let someone try to untangle Laslow from him, though Laslow didn't seem to want to have any of it either. 

"He can stay," Xander managed between one of Elise's healing spells on Laslow's arm and a few bandages. Camilla tried to hug them both, then leaned to lick a bit of blood from Xander's lower lip before kissing his cheek. 

"Don't worry me like this again," she said firmly. "I was so... am so..." 

It was not often, not these days, that he saw Camilla on the verge of tears, but she blinked them away. 

"I am staying right here for as long as I can." 

"Me too!" Elise added. Beside her, Effie nodded. 

Lachesis seemed a little overwhelmed, at the edge of the room, but after a moment, she echoed Effie's nod. 

Then, relatively sated and with Laslow tucked against him, Xander was ready to listen to the story of Cordelia arriving at camp, helping with a battle, and then finding Peri, Laslow, and Camilla. Laslow had apparently clung to Camilla for dear life for the entire flight back on her wyvern. Peri had stayed behind to lead the charge against Surtr's forces, which Xander thought quite admirable. It was more than he could do and... 

Xander tried to move his fingers, but they were too tightly bandaged and bound. He probably should have expected that. 

He knew he had a long road ahead. 

It wouldn't be the first time, though. He could do it. 

"I'll be right back with more pillows and blankets," Camilla said as she reached to pat Xander's covered feet, then Laslow's. He still had his boots on, which was not a surprise. 

"I'll help you," Effie added quickly. 

"We'll get a bunch!" Elise smiled. "That way we really can all stay."

Lachesis looked at Xander and Laslow for a long moment before nodding. "We'll be right back." 

"I'll need you more than ever," Xander said they were alone. 

"I'll be here for you more than ever," Laslow countered as he pulled away enough to take his boots off. They hit the floor with soft thuds and Xander frowned. His clothing had probably been a complete loss. Well, that was something to worry about later anyway. 

"It's as bad as Cordelia said?" 

"I should hope to keep my arm, though I don't know if it will ever be of any use again," Xander admitted. The words burned on his tongue, but they were the truth. 

"Even with..."

Xander closed his eyes and nodded. 

He was not expecting Laslow to be lost for words, but all he heard was the soft rustle of clothing being shed. 

"You'll have to use me more than before, that's all."

Laslow's weight vanished from the bed, but before Xander could open his eyes, Laslow's fingers were in his hair. 

"You're going to need a trim," Laslow said firmly. 

Xander was going to need a lot of things, but he didn't say it.

He heard voices and the door.

"But, as I was saying, if we're going to be sharing quarters with such a beautiful group of ladies, we're going to need something very important," Laslow said quickly. 

Xander couldn't help himself. He peeked. It looked like they'd cleaned out an entire maid's closet. 

"And what is that, Laslow dear?" Camilla questioned. 

"A larger bed, of course."

"Laslow... Here with me," Xander managed. He couldn't even compliment Laslow on how brilliantly-played that had been, but...

"Milord." 

Laslow didn't hesitate to look appropriately chastised as he claimed the space beside Xander. On the floor, the others were setting up an impressive nest of pillows and blankets, with Elise directing. 

"Anything you need," Laslow said softly as he curled close and warm. 

"I know," Xander replied. 

Everything was going to be different now. He would have to rely on everyone around him more than he could ever have imagined and certainly more than he wanted. It would be humbling. 

It would hurt. 

Xander knew he could push through.


End file.
